Orbital Images Indicate Iran's Navy and Atomic Sites Hit by US-Israeli Strikes.

A series of American and Israeli strikes has allegedly sunk or crippled a minimum of eleven warships belonging to Iran starting Saturday, new satellite images show, with launch facilities and enrichment plants also sustaining hits.

Images of the southern Konarak military port and the Bandar Abbas port installation, which overlooks the strategic Hormuz Strait and houses the main command of the Iranian navy, show smoke billowing from multiple warships on the start of the week.

Naval Fleet Sustained Significant Damage

Among the ships sunk was the Makran, the country's most sizable ship which had been used as a drone carrier. Satellite images showed black smoke emanating from the vessel which had been moored at the Bandar Abbas naval base.

Analytical assessments suggest that at least five ships at the port were "damaged or eliminated". Pictures of the south end of the port show smoke rising from the Makran, while another pair of ships are visibly harmed, with one clearly on fire.

At Konarak, photos display multiple damaged vessels, with expert review pointing to strikes against six vessels. Pictures from the start of the week also show that a number of structures at the installation have been destroyed.

"For decades the Iran's leadership has disrupted commercial vessels," a senior US military official declared. "At present, there is not one Iranian vessel operational in the Persian Gulf, Hormuz Strait or Sea of Oman, and we will not stop."

A number of ships allegedly destroyed may have been hidden in aerial photos by haze or plumes, or struck at sea, and have yet to be fully confirmed. Other accounts indicated that one Iranian ship was sinking near Sri Lankan waters, leading to a rescue operation.

Missile Installations and Nuclear Locations Targeted

The destruction of Iran's rocket sites and the stopping nuclear weapons development were stated as other goals of the military strikes. Satellite images also showed impacts against the southern Khorgu and northwestern Tabriz missile missile bases, and at the Konarak base, where weapons bunkers and bunkers were struck.

Over at the Choqa Balk-e drone drone base to the west of the city of Kermanshah, widespread damage was identified to sheds, underground facilities and unmanned aircraft systems.

Destruction was also noted at a surveillance station at the Zahedan airbase airbase in eastern parts of the country, close to the frontier with neighboring nations.

Of particular note, the new round of attacks have apparently targeted installations at Natanz – long said to be at the center of Iran's nuclear programme. An international watchdog stated that the affected structures were used for entry to the site's below-ground nuclear plant and that "no release of radioactive material" was expected.

Wider Fallout and Analysis

Military analysts suggested that the strikes appeared to have "significantly degraded" the Iran's naval ability to carry out conventional attacks using its largest vessels. But, it was stressed that Iran retains the ability to launch asymmetric warfare at sea through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, midget subs and its so-called "shadow fleet" of tankers.

The full extent of the damage caused to Iranian military infrastructure is still uncertain, with attacks said to be continuing. Photos also reveals extensive destruction to the main offices of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the capital Tehran.

A significant number of civilian buildings also appear to have been damaged in the capital and across the country since the hostilities started. Casualty figures from local officials suggest that a high number of civilians may have been lost their lives in the strikes.

As the situation develops, monitoring of satellite imagery will continue to document the evolving military landscape.

Holly Brown
Holly Brown

A dedicated esports journalist with over a decade of experience covering major tournaments and gaming culture.